Janice

Formichella

Your second set of eyes

My personal podcast recommendations

By
Janice Formichella

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I am on a never-ending quest to learn as much as possible. I become bored watching television that doesn’t involve a return on investment (aka something to learn) and I also spend a lot of time walking from place to place as I’ve refused to buy a car in the past four years. I’m pretty much the perfect candidate to jump on the podcast craze, and I’ve done so with a vengeance!

I get asked by a lot of people where they should start, and I’ve put together a list of some of my go-to’s. I’ve got something for everyone here, and will be following this up with a second list shortly! Enjoy!

-Grammar Girl: This is the podcast that I have probably been listening to the longest. I started listening way back before podcasts were cool and I love the way the host, Mignon Fogarty, selects such specific topics of interest and outlines them in succinct, easy to understand segments. A couple of my favorite episodes/topics include Janus words, the usage of ‘supper’ or ‘dinner’, and ‘say your piece’ or ‘say your peace’.

-History Chicks: I listen to several history podcasts and this one is hands down my favorite. It is done so well. From the adorable 30-second summary to the palatable interest the two hosts show in each woman they feature and the awesome media section at the end, it is truly a history enthusiast’s dream podcast.

-Crime Junkies: True crime shows have been a long-time guilty pleasure of mine, so I was pretty thrilled to find that the genre had taken the podcast world by STORM. I’m guilty of binging on quite a few and have some honorable mentions that I’m happy to share with anyone who reaches out, but Crime Junkies is definitely one I love to follow week by week without fail.

-A Way with Words:This podcast is SO cool and a must for anyone with an interest in quirky facts. The hosts must have brains the size of bowling balls, for I am constantly amazed at their ability to answer questions about the English language. It’s a unique format for a podcast, as listeners dial in with questions about puns, idioms, regionalisms, plays on words, and derivation, all answered in great detail. Don’t think for a moment that it’s a snoozer, however. It’s conversational and lively. Perfect to play while meal prepping.

-Unobscured: Go ahead and start following this brilliant podcast now and thank me later. If you have an interest in good stories, history, documentaries, feminism, or crime, you won’t be disappointed. In its first season, the podcast chronicles the true history of the Salem Witch Trials. Even as a lifelong enthusiast for the case I’ve learned something new each episode. This series is perfect for the evening commute home when all you want to do is zone out and be entertained.

Those are five picks for now, though I will definitely be following this post up with another list of five sometime soon. If you’d like to talk podcast shop please hit me up on Twitter, where I interact with some great producers and give lots of personal tips on who to listen to. I’d love to hear your recommendations as well!